Manufacture of fans



RENEWED FEB. 17, I921.

Patented May 10, 1921.

2 $HEETS-SHEET 1.

v fi an:

P. H. WITHINGTON.

MANUFACTURE OF FANS. APPLICATION FILED sEPT.8. 1917. RENEWED FEB17,1921.

1,377,300. Patented May 10, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP H. WITHINGTON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORilO THE SPARKS-WITHINGTON COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MANUFACTURE OF FANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 8, 1917, Serial No. 190,358. RenewedFebruary 17, 1921. Serial No. 445,867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP H. WITHING- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga, in theState of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in theMannfacture of Fans, of which the following, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture offans, and is designed more particularly for the production of fansadapted for use in the cooling of automobile or other engines, eitherdirectly or by water circulation through radiators and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to produce a simple andeconomical method of manufacturing fans for any purpose, with specificreference to those described resulting in a material and substantialsaving in the metal material of which the fans are formed.

A further object is to produce a method by which a plurality of fanblanks, in this instance two blanks, are cut, stamped or punched from asingle strip of metal by one and the same set of dies at a singleoperation, thereby effecting an economy in time with the possibility ofa material increase of output for any given eriod of time.

Other objects and a vantages relate to the details of construction andarrangement and the method of effecting the same, as will more clearlyappear. from the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a view of a strip ofmetalfrom which two fan blanks are out or punched, the dotted linesindicating the outline of the completed blanks.

Fig. 2 is a view of a fan blank.

Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of fan blank indicating the method ofrolling the rim over a wire bail.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 44,

Fig. 5 is a view of the fan blank after the rim has been rolled over thewire bail of Fig. 3, the rim being then bent into circular form and itsends connected preferably in the manner indicated, by utilizing the wirebail for this purpose.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a central web having armssecured to respective blades.

Fig. 7 is a view of the fan structure of Fig. 6, taken at right anglesto Fig. 6.

In order that these fan blanks may be exped tiously and economically cutor punched, a sheet metal strip A is employed having, in the specificillustration shown, a width slightly greater than the radial length ofthe completed fan blade plus twice the width of the rim integral withthe blade so that the opposite longitudinal edges of the strip may formseparate rims,each having integral therewith a series of blades cut fromthe portion of the blank intermediate these longitudinal edges or rims.

From each strip A of a predetermined len th, two fan blanks --1- are cutor punched at a single operation, along the dotted lines indicated inFig. 1. Each blank comprises a rim 2- and a series of blades 3 having aportion of one end integral with the rim and another portion of such endseparated from the rim to permit its deflection to one side of the rim,as hereinafter described.

After the fan blanks have been punched from a strip -A, which may be ofany suitable length, the rim 2 is first rolled over a wire bail 4 andpreferably. as shown, the bail projects at 5- from one end of the rimwhile at the opposite end it terminates within the rim at a point spacedfrom the end of the rim a distance substantially equal to the length ofthe projecting portion 5. The rim carrying the blades -3 is then bentinto circular form, as shown in Fig. 5, and the projecting portion 5- ofthe bail is inserted within the opposite end of the rim to lock theadjacent portions of the rim together, the projecting portion 5 and theportion of the rim within which it is inserted preferably being securedtogether in any suitable manner, as by welding, rolling or beading.

The free end portion 6 of the blades may then be deflected laterally ofthe rim to the desired extent, preferably wholly to one side of the rim,and if desired the corner portions -7- may likewise be deflectedslightly to the opposite side of the rim if desired. The deflection ofthese latter portions may be essential when the bases of the blades areof such width as to overlie each other when the rim portion is bent intocircular form. 1

Arms -8-, as shown formed integral with a central web -9, are secured tothe The construction of these latter partsforms no portion of theinvention herein and need not be further illustrated or described.

The preferred method involves the formation of a fan by the series ofsteps described and in the sequence described, but it will be readilyapparent that the order in which these 0 erations are performed may bevaried. is for instance, the blades may be deflected before the rim isbent into circular form, or the rim may be bent into circular formbefore the same is rolled as over the wire bail shown, all withoutdeparting from the spirit of this invention as set forth in the appendedclaims, and although the claims set forth a series of steps in sequence,

the arms to the blades Under certain conditions, the blank shown in Flg.2 may be bent into circular form without rolling the rim and withoututiliz-v ing the wire bail, and the ends of the rim may be securedrelatively to each other in suitable or desirable manner. hat I claim isThe method of manufacturing fans comprising formin a flat fan blankcomprising a rim and bla es integral with and extending laterally fromone: side of the rim and separated from the rim for a portion of theirwidth by slots, bending the rim in circular form, deflecting theportions of the blades separated from the rim,by slots so that they areout of alinement with the rim and securing a eentralweb to the radiatingblades.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29 day of Au st,1917.

PHILIP H. WI HINGTON.

Witnesses:

LILLIAN E. WUNDERLIOH, HENRY C. MENKE.

